Nissan Qashqai: Bestseller made in Britain
The Nissan Qashqai has become a bestseller over the past 18 years, although many observers were initially skeptical when the Japanese company switched to a compact SUV in a segment previously dominated by classic hatchbacks. Since its debut, four million units of the crossover have been sold in more than 140 countries. At the same time, the Qashqai, which is produced in Sunderland, UK, has become the fastest-selling model in the British automotive industry, which is now dominated by international groups. Now the next generation of the bestseller is rolling off the production lines.
Nissan invested 30 million pounds sterling in the conversion to the new model, bringing the total investment in the site to six billion pounds. In addition to a revised design, the new Qashqai comes to customers with a new interior. Among other things, there is now a choice of 64 colors for the ambient lighting, and four cameras provide improved all-round visibility. Also new are advanced assistants that can be operated via buttons on the steering wheel. At the same time, Google services have been integrated - after logging in, Google Maps comes on board, and the voice command "Hey Google" can be used to activate navigation or the automatic climate control, among other things. The drives have been carried over from the previous model. The e-Power engine, which has now sold more than 120,000 units, also remains in the range. A three-cylinder engine generates the energy for the electric drive.
The first model generation of the crossover was developed in the UK and came onto the market in 2007, reaching the one million units produced mark faster than any other model ever produced in the UK. Production, which started in 1986 with 430 employees thanks to the initiative and generous subsidies of the then Prime Minister Margret Thatcher, created 7,000 jobs in Sunderland, including 1,000 employees at the London Design Center and other locations in the UK. In addition, around 30,000 people are employed throughout the entire production and supply chain.
Sunderland, where the Juke is also manufactured, plays an important role in Nissan's plans to switch its car range completely to all-electric vehicles by 2030. Three all-electric models are to be produced here in the future. The Group plans to launch 16 electric vehicles worldwide by 2026. Six new electric models are planned for Europe. At the same time, however, 14 new combustion models are also in the production pipeline for the rest of the world. In 2026, Nissan expects electric vehicles to account for 40 percent of the market.
The batteries for the electric models are also produced at the factory in the north-east of the UK. At the same time, the engineers are developing new energy storage systems that are 20 percent more powerful and, among other things, should reduce charging times by up to 50 percent by 2028. In Japan, Nissan is working on the development of the solid-state battery, which is to be sent onto the road in a first pilot model in 2026 and used in a production model two years later. Sunderland is part of Nissan's global "EV36 Zero" project, with which the company has set itself the goal of producing completely emission-free vehicles - from production to use. (aum/ww)
More info for topic: Nissan Qashqai , Produktionsstart , Sunderland
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Nissan Qashqai production in Sunderland.
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Nissan Qashqai.
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Nissan Qashqai.
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Nissan Qashqai.
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Nissan Qashqai.
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Nissan Qashqai production in Sunderland.
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Nissan Qashqai production in Sunderland.
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Nissan Qashqai production in Sunderland.
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Nissan Qashqai production in Sunderland.
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Nissan plant in Sunderland.
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Car loading at the Nissan plant in Sunderland.
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Car loading at the Nissan plant in Sunderland.
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